


MageTale: An Undertale AU

by ArtsieTango



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Fantasy, Gen, Mage AU, Magic AU, Wizard type AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-02-10 03:00:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12902520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtsieTango/pseuds/ArtsieTango
Summary: In which you start to adjust to the house and meet Sans’ you get brother, Papyrus, over dinner.





	1. An Unexpected Induction

It was a brisk autumn afternoon as you strode down the sidewalk, rather irritated with the person you were about to see. Sans, the shopkeeper of a local magic shop, had sold you some bogus crystals .And for a high price too. Even though you didn’t know his intentions too well, you weren’t about to have someone make money off of you just because they thought they could take advantage of your lifestyle. Wind ripping through your coat, whipping your scarf around. You wrenched the front door of the phony magic shop open and hurried inside to the warm, pumpkin-cinnamon scented atmosphere.

You looked around for Sans, the short, fat, skeleton man with a punny sense of humor and no sense of fashion. When you didn’t see him you rang the bell on his cashier stand. As you waited for someone to come to your aid, you looked around the shop. There were bottles in cabinets, some feathers and herbs hanging in low parcels, supposedly magic books, and-

A floating cat?

Sure enough, a black cat was lazily napping in midair, with you standing stunned below it. You were so fixated by the improbability that you hadn’t noticed. Sans came in.

Immediately he saw what you were looking at, and a panic swept across his normally calm, collected features.

“Lawrence! Down! Now!” Without waiting for Lawrence; the cat to respond, Sans waved a hand and forced him on to the ground, waking him up from his nap. As Lawrence yowled at the skeleton and slunk away, Sans used his magic to close the blinds. Before you could get a word in edgewise, he was onto you.

“You can never tell anyone about this, ever, do you understand?” A bit taken aback, you collected yourself and replied,

“No, I don’t think I do understand! What was all that, the blue magic, the floating cat, the shutting of the blinds? Magic isn’t supposed to be real!”

“You’re right. And that’s probably why I can’t trust you to keep your mouth shut. In fact, we might be better off if I just turned you into a frog-“

“No! No no no no, wait, wait.” You said, taking a step back as the skeleton man raised his arms. At this point, there was no guessing what he could do, considering that he’d just floored a cat and shut the blinds with a flick of his wrist.

“What if I promise not to tell anyone?”

“Promise? Yeah sure, you could give me the scouts honor and all that. But honestly, there’s no real deal that you’ll keep your word in the end. And besides, you’d be nice and safe here as a toad. I’m sure Papyrus would let me keep you as long as I put you in a terrarium.” A wicked, mischievous smile had formed on Sans’ features, making you doubt that his words held any actual truth. Just to be on the safe side though, you stammered out,

“W-well, if you think I’d be safer here, then maybe, I could stay here, but as-um, as a human?”

“What, like my apprentice? I dunno sweetheart, I don’t think you’re up to the task of keeping up with a Mage like me. Mage? You’d have to shelve that question away for later. You were bargaining right now.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I bet I could do it!” You said, lifting your chin and narrowing your eyes with determination. Sans chuckled at you.

“Sweetheart, I hate to break it to you, but you’re not even a spell caster. There isn’t an ounce of magic in your being.”

“What? That’s so not true! In fact, I was on my way to your shop because you sold me some plastic crystals, which ended up with my safety charm failing.”

“Yeah, I sold them to ya, cause I sensed that you weren’t really a Mage. Also, the first words out of your mouth to me just now were “magic isn’t real”.” Your determined stare turned into a scowl. He had you there. You still had one more desperate plea to give though.

“I wouldn’t be a bother. I would try my best. I could run errands for you, but I would also require enough money for my own needs. And if I had to stay here, in the flat above, I would be a very quiet houseguest.” Sans Eyelights shifted over you for a moment, calculating whether or not you were really worth the risk.

“You’ll run errands? You’ll live in this house? You’ll be my apprentice, all so you won’t be turned into a toad?” You nodded emphatically, your mouth set in a grim line as you awaited his decision. Finally, he held out his hand.

“Welcome to my world, sweetheart.”

“I have a name.” You respond, rolling your eyes at the pet name. “It’s Raeda”

“Well, then, welcome to my world Raeda.” He grinned, his eyelights peeking out gleefully from over his cheekbones.

“We’ll send for your stuff tomorrow. In the meantime, get comfortable. Read some books to get acquainted with the real world of magic, there’s a lounge through the kitchen, or you could explore the guest room upstairs. Bathroom is at the end of the hall on the left.”

“Gee, thanks.” You said with a hint of sarcasm in your voice. Sans just shrugged as he picked up the bag of crystals you dropped and headed through the kitchen.

“Oh, and one more thing,” sans said, turning back to you with narrowed eye sockets.

“Do not go into the basement. That’d only be asking for trouble, and then I’d really have to turn you into a frog. Is that clear?” You nodded, unnerved by the sudden energy shift in the room and the eerie foreboding in sans’ voice. He just nodded gravely before leaving you alone to decide what to do next


	2. What Next?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you start to adjust to the house and meet Sans’ you get brother, Papyrus, over dinner.

Begrudgingly, you took Sans’ advice and grabbed some books off of the display shelf and headed upstairs to your new room. It was actually very nice, furnished with a nice wooden dresser, a closet, and a large four poster bed with thick curtains. You were struck by the sudden satisfaction that you might be warmer here this winter than you would have been in your apartment. Without a second thought, you kicked off your shoes, crawled into the bed, and started to read.

After what seemed to be hours, you heard a knock on the door that made you sit up.

“Come in.” You said, and the door swung in to reveal Sans standing on the other side. 

“Hey, just came to say that we’re having dinner downstairs. You can join us whenever you’re ready.” He seemed much more sheepish, but also more relaxed after the chance to calm down. He was probably embarrassed about the way he had treated you.

“Thanks, I’ll walk down with you. I’m starving.” You replied, offering a thankful smile to assure him that you were okay. His grin widened as he stepped to the side to accommodate you. As you walked down the stairs together, he said, 

“I haven't told Paps, my brother, about us having a new houseguest yet, so you’ll have to excuse him if he worries over you when he finds out.” 

“Oh,” You said softly, a bit taken aback. You had thought Sans’ brother might be resistant to your arrival, like Sans had been. Perhaps he was nicer than you thought. “Well I’m sure that we’ll be alright. It’s been awhile since someone’s worried about me.”

“Really?” Sans said, quirking an eyebrow curiously. You just pursed your lips and smiled tightly. Trying to change the subject as you walked into the kitchen, you said,

“I can’t believe you threatened to turn me into a frog. Can you actually do that?”

“SANS!! YOU THREATENED TO USE MAGIC TO TRANSFORM YOUR FRIEND? YOU'LL RISK BEING DISCOVERED!!” Shouted a tall, stern looking skeleton, causing you to turn your attention to him. 

His narrow features were angled in a disapproving frown that hovered above a large red scarf piled high on some impressive looking football gear painted white. He was standing at a steaming stove, wielding a spoon covered in pasta sauce to emphasize his scolding. Sans cringed at his brothers reprimanding, but shrugged it off with a tense laugh.

“I wasn’t actually going to Paps. Just trying to get her to keep quiet about Lawrence the Stray.”

“MMM, THAT CAT. YOU SHOULD’VE THOUGHT ABOUT WHERE HE WAS SLEEPING BEFORE YOU OPENED SHOP. AT ANY RATE, IT WAS NICE OF YOU TO INVITE THE HUMAN YOU'VE INCONVENIENCED TO DINNER.” Turning towards you, Papyrus’ frown turned into a smile as he said,

“MY APOLOGIES, WE HAVE NOT BEEN FORMALLY INTRODUCED! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND OF COURSE YOU HAVE ALREADY MET MY BROTHER SANS. AND YOUR NAME IS?”

“Raeda.” You replied meekly, shaking the taller skeleton’s oven-mitted hand.

“WELL WELCOME! SO GLAD YOU COULD JOIN US FOR DINNER. PLEASE, HAVE A SEAT.” Sans cleared his throat tentatively as he scooted out a chair for you and himself.

“Actually, Paps, I need to talk to you about that. In order to ensure that Raeda wouldn’t go talk about Lawrence, or, y’ know, my abilities, I talked with her and she has agreed to stay with us.” Papyrus was silent as he set plates on the table, obviously concentrating on what Sans was saying. Sans was clutching his chair nervously, his eyelights carefully reading Papyrus for any signs of frustration or disapproval.

“Would that be okay? I know you’re busy with the job search and all-”

“OF COURSE!” Papyrus exclaimed, suddenly looking up at Sans to give him a reassuring smile. “I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA! I CAN HELP HER IF SHE NEEDS IT, WE CAN WORK ON SOME PUZZLES, ETCETERA! IT WILL BE NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO, AND IT WILL BE A MUCH NEEDED DISTRACTION FROM THE JOB HUNT!”

“I could even help you job hunt, if you’d like.” You added as a large helping of spaghetti was added to your plate.

“REALLY? THAT WOULD BE AMAZING!” Papyrus exclaimed, and you could swear there were stars in his eyes. He made you smile bashfully as you twirled spaghetti around your fork. At a loss for words, you took a bite of the spaghetti on your fork to give yourself time to think. Suddenly, your eyes lit up and you sank back into your chair with a moan. You could feel Sans giving you a look, but you ignored him.

“This is amazing. I think-I think this is the best spaghetti I’ve ever had.”

“THANK YOU! I'VE BEEN PRACTICING EVER SINCE-WELL, SINCE I WAS A BABY BONES!”

“Well, it’s certainly paid off.” You said, giving him an encouraging wink. A bright pink dusted Papyrus’ cheekbones as he proclaimed modestly,

“YOU'RE MOST KIND! TELL ME, WHAT MADE YOU COME TO SANS’ STORE TODAY?”

“Well, I was actually here to return some crystals that turned out to be pieces of colored glass, which don’t work for certain protection spells. I also use crystals to ensure that my workplace is calm and I receive minimal stress.” Sans snorted with stifled laughter, trying to hide his amusement by shoveling more spaghetti into his mouth. You just raised a disapproving eyebrow in response.

“WOWIE! THAT SOUNDS NEAT! PERHAPS I SHOULD TRY IT SOMETIME! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU SOLD HER FAKE CRYSTALS SANS! WHY WOULD YOU JEOPARDIZE HER SPELLS LIKE THAT?” Sans’ looked disinterested as he replied,

“Because the crystals she was looking for were way out of her price range, and I sensed that she was not a real spell caster, much less a Mage.” 

“WELL MAYBE SHE JUST HASN'T FOUND HER MEDIUM YET. SHE’LL HAVE TO SOON IF SHE IS TO BE YOUR APPRENTICE.” Sans met your eyes for a moment, and you could tell that you were both unsure that this arrangement was going to work out. After a couple more moments of silent eating, you rose from your chair and said,

“Thank you so much for dinner, it was a taste sensation! I look forward to hanging out with you more.”

“AS DO I RAEDA! I DO HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR STAY HERE! I'M CERTAINLY GLAD YOU ENJOY THE SPAGHETTI.” Also rising, Papyrus walked around the table and surprised you with a hug. You stood there for a moment, hands hovering above his armor before you returned his embrace warmly. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d had a good hug, and part of that had to do with the fact that you had lived alone.

“I THINK I’LL START CLEANING UP. SANS, DO YOU WANT ANY SECONDS?”

“No thanks Pap, I’m good. Thanks for the meal.”

“OF COURSE BROTHER!” The boys grinned at each other with fondness, their differences surpassed by their mutual bond of affection for now. Papyrus then raised his arms, like a conductor, and one by one the dishes stacked themselves and floated over to the sink, landing with a loud clatter. Flustered, Papyrus let out an embarrassed ‘nyeh’ and said, 

“IT SEEMS I STILL NEED SOME PRACTICE TOO.”

“You’re doing great bro.” As the dishes were magically washed and put away, sans pushed back his chair, stood up, and said to you,

“May I walk you up to your room?” You raised an eyebrow at his query, but shrugged. 

“Sure, I don’t mind.” You replied. As you rose from your seat, you caught Papyrus’ glove with your hand and said, 

“Thank you again for dinner, it was lovely.”

“NYEH, OF COURSE! I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MORE MEALS WITH YOU! AND MAYBE WE CAN EVEN COOK SOMETHING TOGETHER!” He replied, his enthusiasm making you grin. As you and sans exited the hall, sans let out a sigh of relief.

“That went better than expected.”

“Your brother is really nice! Is he that- I dunno, is he that bubbly all the time? He seems to be a very go-with-the-flow guy!”

“Heh, I guess it seems that the roles are reversed. Back in Snowdin, our home in the underground, Paps was a stickler for rules. Still is, in a way, but these days he’s become a little more laid back.”

“So down in Snowdin, you were go-with-the-flow?”

“Of sorts. I did a bunch of odd jobs, I didn’t necessarily care about how I looked or what I did. Until another human fell down, I didn’t need to worry.” You turned to get a better look at sans as you both headed upstairs. He looked weary, as though the memories and his day were enough for him to drop on the stairs and sleep for days. You didn’t want to pry too much, but you were curious as to what humans had to do with it.

“You worried about humans?”

“Well, a certain type of human, necessarily. But listen, it’s too long to go into tonight. And you’re probably too tired to listen to it right now. You’ll have to ask me again another time.” As you came to a stop in front of your room, he turned to you and said with the utmost sincerity,

“Listen, thanks for rollin with the punches, ya’ know? You made a dazzling impression on Paps. I’m sure you two will get along well together.” After a slight pause, he rolled his eyes humorously and added, “Also, sorry about threatening to turn you into a frog. That was a little dramatic.” You chuckled a little, finding the situation humorous now that you were removed from it.

“It’s fine. We all say things we don’t mean sometimes when something is really important. Even if I don’t necessarily understand why the secrecy of magic is important yet.” Sans gave a soft laugh.

“You have no idea kid. Don’t worry, we’ll learn all about the secrecy of magic, and yada yada yada. For now, you get some shut eye. We start studying tomorrow.” You gave Sans a mock salute and replied,

“Will do, Sargent.” Sans shook his head and laughed as you retreated into your room. As you prepared for bed and thought about the next morning, all you could think about was how ready you were to prove that Sans was wrong about you.


	3. Job Hunting...START!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m an effort to find something to do, you try to get answers out of Sans and help Papyrus prepare for future interviews. You may find out a few things about Papyrus from his time above ground too...

Over the next few days sans helped you move your things into the magic shop, and what you couldn’t move you sold. It was sort of refreshing to start a new life with a chunk of change in your pocket. Once everything had been moved and you started settling down in the guest room, all that was left to do was read.

“So when do I get to learn about magic and why you guys are hiding it and all that Jazz?” You asked sans once as you took a break from an extremely heavy book of magical lore. 

“Heh, I’m afraid not for a long time sweetheart. We don’t even know if you’ll be able to yield a relic yet.”

“Sans, this is ridiculous, I can’t just read every single book you own and retain everything. I need experience! I need to do something other than read.” Just then a customer walked in the door, and sans waved as a way of greeting. 

“I’ll be with you in a minute.” He said, giving them a friendly smile. Turning back to you, he said,

“We'll work something out kiddo. In the meantime, if you’re really done with reading, you can go help Paps. Maybe he can even read to you. As for magic, you’re an open book kid. All of my senses tell me that you don’t have any magic in you. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t be a part of the magical world though. It just makes it harder for you to do so.” You sighed, a feeling of disappointment filling your chest. 

“Okay, Thanks for being honest with me at least. I’m gonna go see what Papyrus is up to.”

“As soon as the store closes we’ll go do something to take your mind off magic. Until then, try to keep studying.” You sighed and turned to walk away, saying,

“Fine, but you owe me an explanation about everything at some point.”

“Soon, I promise.” Sans called as you pushed past the swinging door into the kitchen. You froze in your tracks as you walked in on Papyrus excitedly gesturing to a computer.

“RAEDA!! HOW NICE TO SEE YOU!! I’D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MY FRIEND, METTATON!”

“Papy darling, could you stop referring to me as your friend when you introduce me to people? I’m more than just a friend darling!” Droned the person in the other end as Papyrus turned the computer around to face you. They were more beautiful than anyone you had ever seen, their face glistening with what looked to be a silver sheen. Were they using a filter in a video chat?

“Oh, hello!” You exclaimed, giving Mettaton an awkward wave. “It’s so nice to meet you!”

“It’s nice to meet you too darling! I’m sure Papyrus will take great care of you. I’m off on tour right now, which is why I’m not meeting you in person. He’s already told me all he knows about you though! How’s the job search going, by the way?”  
You spluttered as Mettaton looked expectantly at you, resting his...her...their chin on their hands expectantly. 

“Well, actually, we haven’t even started yet! I’ve been so busy moving in we haven’t had a chance! Maybe we should do that later, after you guys are done talking!” 

“Oh that’s alright darling, I actually have to get ready to go soon! The next stage awaits! Papy darling, please keep me apprised of all your goings on. And remember, it’s not too late to guest star with me on stage!”

“I WOULD LOVE TO MY DEAR, BUT PERHAPS ANOTHER TIME. BUT I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK TONIGHT! HUGS AND KISSES FROM MY END OF THE WORLD!”

“And hugs and kisses from mine as well! I can’t wait until we’re able to hug and kiss in person. Have fun job hunting! Toodle-o!” Mettaton signed off, leaving Papyrus smiling sheepishly at you, while a sly looking smile made its way across your face. 

“You guys are cute.” You said with a giddy giggle. 

“NYEH! DON'T MAKE ME BLUSH FURTHER! YOU'LL ONLY MAKE IT HARDER FOR ME TO CONCENTRATE ON THIS JOB HUNT!”

“You’re right, you’re right.” You conceded, pulling out a chair and sliding next to Papyrus. After another moment of staring at each other in silence, you asked,

“So how did you two meet?” Papyrus groaned with amusement.

“NOTHING SPECIAL REALLY. FRISK INTRODUCED US ONCE WE WERE FREED FROM THE UNDERGROUND. HE’S ALWAYS BEEN FLASHY, BELONGED TO THE STAGE, ALWAYS PERFORMING. WE’VE HAD TO MANAGE LONG DISTANCE BEFORE, BUT THIS IS THE LONGEST TRIP HE’S BEEN AWAY FROM ME.” You nodded, patting Papyrus’ arm sympathetically. 

“Yeah, long distance can be rough. I’m sure you guys will manage though, especially since he comes home to spend time with you and you’ve done this before.” Now Papyrus was really blushing, a deep, modest red blush as he got a look of faraway longing in his eyes, resting a cheekbone on his hand. 

“I CERTAINLY HOPE SO.” The tall skeleton sighed. Snapping out of his short reverie, he turned back to you and asked,

“WELL, LET'S START JOB HUNTING! HOW DO WE START?” You smiled and replied,

“Well, first we’re gonna need a resume.”

***

After gathering some pens and paper, you and Papyrus sat down in order to discuss past employment.

“So, pretend I’m interviewing you for a job, and as you answer my questions, I’ll write them down so that later we can compile them into a resume.”

“GOODIE! OKAY, GIVE ME A MOMENT.” Papyrus cleared his throat, closed his eyes, and exhaled. His eyes fluttered open comically as he said, “OKAY, BEGIN!”

“Alright.” You said, stifling your giggles to adopt a more serious tone. “So Mr. Papyrus, why do you want to work here at our lovely ice cream shop?”

“PLEASE! CALL ME PAPYRUS! AND I WISH TO JOIN YOUR LOVELY ICE CREAM ESTABLISHMENT AS AN EMPLOYEE BECAUSE I WISH TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY!”

“Oh, you’re a family man! That’s nice! Any kids?” 

“ER, NO. I LIVE WITH MY BROTHER. AND THIS ANNOYING DOG. AND A CAT CALLED LAWRENCE THE STRAY.” You scribbled ‘family man’ down on the sheet of paper. You’d figure out organization of the paper later. 

“O-kay, and how would people describe you?”

“WELL, I’M SURE THEY WOULD DESCRIBE ME AS HARD-WORKING, RESPONSIBLE, DILIGENT, TRUSTWORTHY, BRAVE…” Papyrus trailed off, obviously trying to think of more. “I CAN’T THINK OF ANYMORE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY MORE GREAT QUALITIES ABOUT ME THAT WOULD BENEFIT YOUR ESTABLISHMENT!” You took all of his qualities down verbatim.

“Great! And what are some of your special skills?”

“I AM AN AMAZING PUZZLE CRAFTSMAN, A FANTASTIC COOK, A GREAT PATROLMAN, AND A SPECTACULAR POLICE OFFICER!!”

“Wait, you were a police officer?” You said, breaking character. “When?”

“OH, NOT SO LONG AGO…” Papyrus said, wringing his hands as he gave you a nervous smile.

“Well what happened? Police officers don’t get kicked off the force for minor misdemeanors.”

“ER, WELL, PERHAPS FOR HUMANS, YES, BUT THERE WAS STILL A BIT OF HESITANCY TO APPOINT A MONSTER AS A LAW ENFORCER.” You nodded with understanding as a worried look crossed your brow, making him sigh reluctantly. You reached out to place a hand on his radius. 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to elaborate if you don’t want to.”

“NO I-I SHOULD. IT HAS BECOME HARD TO FIND FRIENDS IN THE HUMAN WORLD, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS HARD IN THE UNDERGROUND. MY EXPERIENCE HERE HAS MADE ME CHERISH MY MONSTER FRIENDSHIPS MORE, AND YET AT THE SAME TIME, I FEEL LONELY. I MISS FRISK. I MISS BECKETT.”

“Who are they? Why don’t you see them anymore?”

“FRISK IS THE HUMAN WHO FREED US FROM THE UNDERGROUND. SHE’S GROWN UP QUITE A LOT SINCE THEN, AND HAS GROWN BUSIER BECAUSE SHE IS BUSY WITH HER STUDIES AS WELL AS BEING THE MONSTER AMBASSADOR TO THE WORLD. I WILL HAVE TO INTRODUCE YOU TWO SOMETIME, IF I EVER GET THE CHANCE. WE TEXT QUITE A LOT.” Papyrus took a moment to reminisce with a smile before he continued.

“BECKETT WAS MY SQUADRON LEADER, AND FIRST REAL HUMAN FRIEND ON THE SURFACE! ALL OF THE OTHER GUYS, INCLUDING HIS BOSS, THE CHIEF OF POLICE, DID NOT TRUST THAT I WOULD BE ANY HELP TO THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT. BECKETT BELIEVED IN ME THOUGH, AND MANAGED TO GET ME HIRED!! IT WAS LIKE BEING A PART OF THE ROYAL GUARD! I HAD A GROUP OF LOYAL FRIENDS TO TALK TO, AND WE SOLVED CRIMES, WHICH ARE A LOT LIKE DANGEROUS PUZZLES!” Papyrus had sat straight up in his chair with excitement to regale you with his stories, but had now visibly drooped, as though his perceived failures were weighing his bones down.

“AND THEN, WELL, THIS ONE TIME, WE WERE CHASING A CRIMINAL ON FOOT. IT WAS EXCITING… AND I GOT CARRIED AWAY.” Papyrus closed his eyes as his cheeks flushed with burning shame. “I WAS FASTER THAN MY SQUAD, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO CATCH THE THIEF. I ENDED UP USING SOUL MAGIC TO CAPTURE HIM BEFORE HE COULD HOP A FENCE. I HAD PUT HIM IN A BOX OF MY SPECIAL BLUE ATTACK BONES, AND THINKING HE COULD BUST HIS WAY OUT, HE ENDED UP HURTING HIMSELF. BADLY.” The sadness in Papyrus’ features tugged at something deep within your soul. You were sad that he was hurting, but you also felt a smear of anger as well. As you tried to suppress your strong feelings of justice, you rubbed his forearm with your thumb and asked quietly,

“So they fired you?” Papyrus just gave you a grim smile.

“YES, ALTHOUGH MY FRIEND BECKETT NEARLY LOST HIS JOB OVER IT. HE DEFENDED MY ACTIONS NOBLY, BUT I WAS STILL CHARGED WITH POLICE BRUTALITY. BECKETT’S BOSS THEN DECIDED THAT MONSTERS SHOULD FORM THEIR OWN LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THAT MONSTERS SHOULD, WELL, TO PUT IT HIS WAY, ‘KEEP THEIR MAGIC OUT OF HUMAN BUSINESS’.” Your grip tightened on Papyrus’ arm as your sense of justice took over you. 

“That’s absolutely unfair, and they shouldn’t have fired you. You didn’t hurt him intentionally, it was an accident! And what did Beckett say about it? What did he think about your magic?” Papyrus paused pensively before slowly saying,

“HE SAID THAT HE WISHED THEY COULD KEEP ME AND MY SKILLS ON THE FORCE, THAT I WAS AN EXCELLENT CRIME FIGHTER. AND, TO PUT IT HIS WAY, ‘MAGIC OR NONE, SOMEHOW CRIMINALS HAVE TO BE CAUGHT. AND IT WOULD BE A HECK OF A LOT EASIER IF WE HAD MAGIC ON OUR SIDE’.”Your mouth had set into a hard, determined line as you thought about Papyrus’ story. 

“Papyrus, would you even want your old job back? To join the police force again?”

“OF COURSE! MORE THAN ANYTHING!” Papyrus said enthusiastically. 

“Then I think it’s time that we get you a lawyer and sort all this out. You shouldn’t have been booted off the force because you happen to have magical powers and you happened to use them to stop the bad guy. Especially if it was only a one time deal. We’ll get you back on the force again in know time.” Papyrus took your hands in his, beaming at you with stars in his eyes.

“REALLY RAEDA? DO YOU THINK I’LL MAKE IT BACK IN?” You just grinned back and squeezed his hands tight.

“Of course I do Pap. I believe in you.”


	4. One Thing At A Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An informative dinner Sans, but not necessarily in the way you expected.

 

Sometime after your interview prep with Papyrus, Sans came and visited your room with  slight knock on your door. 

“Hey kiddo, d’ ya wanna grab something to eat?” You looked up from your computer with confusion as you tried to process his offer. You had been deep in research of magical capabilities, but so far there was nothing but myths and legends to look at. No actual articles to date explored the modern day magical abilities of humans and monsters alike. Switching your train of thought to food, you considered all the spaghetti you had eaten in the past week and asked,

“What about Papyrus?” Sans just shrugged good-naturedly.

“MTT’s back in town, so they’re going out for the night. Also, I figured you could use a change of pace from the leftover spaghetti.” You smiled and snapped your computer shut

“Okay! Yeah, that sounds nice. I’d like to get to know you more, and maybe you could answer some of my questions.” Sans just gave you another one of his mysterious shrugs, saying as he turned to leave,

“Be sure to bundle up kid, it's pretty windy outside.”

***

 

You were grateful for the warmth when you stepped into Grillby’s establishment. It seemed that the glow of the bar lights gave off a warmth that filled your skin and warmed your soul. Sans started heading towards the bar until you tapped his elbow to get his attention. 

“Could we maybe sit at a booth instead? I- I would rather not have to crane my neck to talk to you.” You stammered awkwardly. Sans raised an eyebrow (bone-brow?), but smiled humorously at you.

“Yeah, I guess I don’t mind.”

You flashed him a grateful smile as you slid into the booth. As he slid in across from you, a fire monster with a notepad approached your booth. You squinted at his name tag, and realized that this was the establishment’s owner, Grillby.

“Hey Grillbz. Some fries and a large bottle of ketchup for me please, and…” Swiveling his eyesights back to you, Sans asked, “what do you want?” You realized that you had been staring at Grillby in awe instead of thinking about food. Without even taking a look at your menu, you hazarded a guess and said,

“And I’ll have a burger.” Grillby nodded at you as he scribbled your answer down. You continued to stare as a mouth formed from the fire under the rims of his glasses. Turning to sans, he said in a low, crackly voice,

“Shall I put this on the tab?” A moment of embarrassment passed his features, but was quickly replaced with his usual laid-back demeanor. 

“Yeah, go ahead and put it on the tab.” Grillby nodded and walked away. You could have almost sworn the flames winked at you as he left. Turning back to Sans, you said,

“You didn’t have to pay for me.”

“You sure seem fascinated by Grillbz.” Sans shot back playfully, lightly avoiding the subject.

“Well, I mean, yeah, who wouldn’t be? He’s a being made of fire! Is he pure magic? Or is he a creature with a species?  Biologically speaking of course.”

“Eh, it’s a little more complicated than that. Monsters and their bodies are stabilized by a concentration of magic, often referred to as their SOUL. The soul is basically the core of the monster. So in Grillby’s case, he has a strong SOUL, coursing with powerful magic, but his magic is lesser compared to a boss monster like Toriel, who I’ll introduce you to eventually.”

“So what happens when a monster dies? Does a monster’s magic ever run out?” You asked, pulling out a notebook while jotting some quick notes. You were too busy writing to notice Sans grimace.

“Well, not necessarily. I mean, yeah, monsters can die of old age, but monsters typically live for hundreds of years. The only other time monsters die is when their soul is shattered, like a human murder, almost like a stab to the heart. When that happens, the magic from the soul is expelled from the body and dissipates, and the monster’s body turns to dust.” Your gaze snaps up from your notebook to Sans as he took a quick swig of ketchup. 

“Wait, why?” You ask, slightly shocked. “I mean, like, why do monsters turn to dust.”

“The expulsion of the magic does it. Of course, not all monsters dust. Some monsters melt. It depends on the type of magic, and maybe how fast it lets out. I’d like to do more research on it myself, but death is a tricky subject, and I don’t have time to start another project to begin with.” You raise an eyebrow at the mention of a project. You had wanted to get to know more about Sans anyway. 

“What are you working on right now?” Sans’ features shift uncomfortably, his eyelights scanning the bar before he looks back at you. You had expected a reaction, but not one that looked so… concerned.

“I can’t say much, but it’s got to do with magic and the shop.” He finally said, but his answer left you dissatisfied. Trying not to be pushy but also learn more, you replied,

“Okay, so the shop is a project? Or part of the project?” Sans hesitated before answering again, his eye sockets narrowing ever so slightly with your continued line of questioning.

“A little bit of both. Ask me more later though. It’s not necessarily… public knowledge, you might say.” You purse your lips a little, still dissatisfied, but relent. 

“Alright. I trust you to tell me anyways. I mean, it’s not like you’re scamming people. Oh wait…” You tease, a small smile and that mischievous glint creeping its way back into your eyes. Sans just rolls his eyelights at you, so much so they almost disappear into his skull.

“Har har. You can do better than that kid.” You laugh a little, shaking your head. 

“Actually no, probably not. Most of my humor comes from sarcasm and memes.” You reply sheepishly. 

“What do you  _ meme _ ?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at you teasingly. 

“You know, the internet jokes that go viral - wait did you just say meme instead of meme? Did you just… pun?”

“I suppose you’ll be wanting some com _ pun _ sation for the pain I’m causing you right now, huh?” Sans quipped, his grin growing wider. You groaned, covering your face with your hands, though you were still smiling. 

“Are you kidding me? Puns are the lowest form of humor!”

“Since we’re talking about kids, we might want to talk about how yours won’t have a sense of humor. Y’know, cause you get all your jokes from the internet.” Your jaw drops at this… this… outright  _ savagery  _ you were experiencing. 

“I so have a sense of humor!” You retort, unconsciously crossing your arms defensively. 

“But yet you don’t like puns! How can you has a sense of humor if puns are not a part of it?” You opened your mouth to reply, but before you could Grillby appeared with your food in hand.

“Enjoy.” He crackled softly. You blush a little as you thought about the things you had said about him earlier. You wonder if Sans had thought it was in bad taste. Then again, he would have told you, wouldn’t he? You were still new to this, after all. You smiled your thanks at Grillby before picking up your burger and taking a bite out of it. It was cooked perfectly, the meat practically melting in your mouth. The softness of the meat was paralleled by the freshness of the lettuce and tomato on top. The burger so fresh, it almost seemed sweeter than savory. It was so good, you absentmindedly ended up stamping your feet with joy. 

“How is it that monster food is infinitely better than anything I’ve ever tasted in my entire life?” You wondered aloud before taking another large bite of your burger.

“Heh, not all monsters can cook. I, for one, have never made anything that compares to either Grillby or Papy’s cooking.” 

“Oh really? Well you’ll have to cook for me sometime to see if my theory on monster food being better is right. It’ll be like an experiment.” Sans just chuckled, looking down into his basket of fries instead of meeting your eyes. 

“Well, in the name of science I suppose.” After a moment’s pause, Sans said, “I gotta say, you’re actually really smart. I mean, you’re speaking my language with all the science stuff. And your questions earlier were actually very inquisitive. What field did you study in college?” You swallowed your burger uncomfortably at the question, fidgeting a little in your chair.

“Well, I was actually studying physics with a side of biology.” You said, now avoiding making eye contact with Sans. He looked at you curiously, but soon replaced it with indifference.

“That’s really neat! Was there a job in your field that interested you?”

“Well, I mean, yeah. Engineering was one is was thinking about gearing towards later on, but I also like studying animals, so becoming a biologist would have been neat too. I guess you could say I was between two different degrees.” 

“So which degree did you end up pursuing?” You set your burger down, wiping your greasy fingers on napkins as your stomach soured with shame.

“I dropped out.” You finally said. You prepared yourself for the questions why, the lectures when you tried to explain - every scenario you had experienced in the past came back to your mind. 

“I’m sorry.” Sans said, bringing your thoughts back to the present. You looked up at him, slightly surprised to see him looking at you with a serious, sympathetic look. He cleared his throat awkwardly and said,

“I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“No! No, you’re fine. It’s just me being stupid.” You said, trying to fake a smile as you wiped away the tears threatening to fall on your food. As you picked up your burger again, Sans said softly, 

“It’s not stupid. And you’re not stupid. Whatever happened, I’m sure it couldn’t have been avoided.”

“I mean, yeah. Except it’s not okay! I failed! And everyone else thinks so too.” You exclaimed with frustration. You couldn’t help but feel like your brain had suddenly fogged up with the past, bringing back every regret. You ended up crossing your arms and glaring at the table before Sans once again snapped you out of it.

“Hey! You didn’t fail. And you haven’t failed. You can always go back later. I’ll even help you, if you would like.” Your eyes met his, your expression more questioning and less critical.

“Really? I mean, I don’t even know if I can. Not right now at least.” 

“That’s okay. Just tell me when you’re ready, and whatever you need help with, I’ll do my best to help you. One project at a time.” Different tears filled your eyes this time, making you duck your head so he couldn’t see. He probably saw anyway, but still, you had to maintain some sense of dignity. When you looked back up you saw him smiling warmly at you. You gave a small, thankful smile back, feeling a strange twang of comfort in your chest. Sans raised his eyebrows good-naturedly and said,

“Well, should we take this to go?”

“Yeah, yeah. Thank you for buying me dinner.” You said, hurriedly collecting your things in favor of moving around some more.

“No problem kiddo. Let’s do this again sometime. I enjoyed getting to know you more.” You nodded, realizing that even if you hadn’t gotten all of your questions about magic and monsterkind answered, you still enjoyed your time with Sans and getting to know him more than anything. All those questions would be answered later, you were sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while I did not necessarily achieve my original goal with this chapter, I feel like I did achieve a better bond between the reader and Sans in this chapter, which will be necessary to the progression of the story later on. I think right now I need to just let the story take me where it will and build the world a bit more before diving into the full plot. We'll get there someday! I just need to focus on one thing at a time. :3


End file.
